These are worrying times for all of us.
The natural feelings of uncertainty will, of course be made worse for the many people who have just lost their jobs. Fears of financial difficulty are piled upon worries for your own health and the health of loved ones. All this can be a distraction, but distractions can lead to even greater problems.
The general rule is that to acquire the right not to be unfairly dismissed, you must have worked for your employer for a continuous period of two years. You then have the right to bring a claim for unfair dismissal before an Employment Tribunal. The problem is that any such claim must be presented at the tribunal within 3 months (less one day) of the date of dismissal. Before a claim can be brought it is necessary to go through the Early Conciliation process with ACAS.
That time period of three month minus one day still stand despite the present “lockdown”. If you leave it too late to take action, you may find you have a valid claim but you cannot pursue it because it is out of time.
If you have lost your job, and you think you might have a claim, please take legal advice as soon as possible.
You can contact us on 01792 468684 or email enquiries@pgmsolicitors.co.uk.
